I must take issue with my boss John Hood?s Daily Journal article in favor of converting I-95 through North Carolina into a toll road. First John asks if not tolls then where is the money to come from for needed improvements. He suggests the only real alternative is an increase in the gasoline tax. I agree that this would be unacceptable. As he notes, NC has one of the highest gasoline taxes in the country. This suggests that something is wrong. Other states along I-95, such as Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia all have lower gas taxes and do not have tolls. In fact, Virginia had tolls and eliminated them. The implication in John?s article is that transportation dollars are currently being used as efficiently as possible and therefore improvements to I-95 must be paid for with new revenues. Could it possibly be the case that none of the current road projects are the result of political patronage or are being pursued because they happen to be located in the ?right? district? John may believe this (I don?t think he really does) but I don?t. Before any new revenue sources are tapped the state should examine its priorities, including whether or not any transportation money should be going to a light rail system that will benefit none of the people who live in the towns along I-95. If tolls are placed on I-95, North Carolina citizens who pay the toll should receive a credit against the gasoline taxes they pay. Ultimately, the state should attempt to divest itself of its interstate highway system through privatization (tolls are not privatization). The purpose of government is to provide goods and services that would not otherwise be provided by private enterprise. It is therefore incumbent upon the state to test the market. If there are private interests willing to own, finance, and operate the highways (or anything else the government provides) then the state should get out of the business. Any money saved by this should go into reducing gasoline taxes.